Which is the greatest 'witch hunt' in American history?

Story TOpics

The litany of federal-government employees’ misdeeds and unethical behavior continues to grow (“Hillary aide paid by private firm to stage event with Bill Clinton while at State,” Web, Sept. 29). The latest examples are the unbelievable conflict-of-interest of former Secretary of State Clinton’s assistant, Huma Abedin, and the outrageous breach of a congressman’s privacy by the Secret Service.

As a former designated agency ethics officer (DAEO) at a federal agency, I am perplexed as to why Congress or even the White House is not taking to task the DAEOs at these and other agencies, as well as the agency responsible for advising them and overseeing their responsibilities (the U.S. Office of Government Ethics). While the ethics officers and the Office of Government Ethics do not have the same power and authority as the inspectors general, they nevertheless can and should serve as the first line of defense against unethical and illegal conduct by federal employees. They should also be held accountable. The integrity of federal public service requires no less.